Wheel



Aug. 14, 1928. v mamas D. T. PHILLIPS WHEEL Filed Jan. 26, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet l Aug. 14; 192 Lamas D. T. PHILLIPS WHEI'EL Filed Jan. 26, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 This Lara

arr

DARIUS T. PHILLIPS,- OF GHTGAGO, ILLINOIS.

WHEEL.

Application filed January that type which employs individually mounted tread sections each adapted to be compressed when brought into contact with the ground; and the object of the invention is to provide mountings for the tread sections of such character as to prevent slipping, and to permit the sections to conform to the ground in such a way as to secure the greatest amount of efticiencyf The invention consists in the details of construction of the individual tread sectionsand to the manner in which the said sections are individually mounted upon the wheel, and also to the manner in which the individual sections are correlated to one an other, and to the features of constructionand combinations of parts hereinafter de scribed and claimed.

In the drawings:

.Figure 1 is a side elevation partly in sec-.

tion of a portion of a wheel embodying the featuresof my present invention Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic view showing a face view of the treads,

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view showing the edge of the wheel rim with the treads andspring connections removed; I Fig. d is a view, partly in section, of the edge of the wheel rim, with one of the treads secured thereto, the spring being shownin section; V n

r Fig. 5' is aside elevation of one of the treads, showing the various positions as sumed by the tread during its period of contact with the ground; and

7 Fig. 6 is a plan view of one of the tread sections, looking toward the inside surface re e The wheel as a whole comprises a hub 10', from which extends a web 11 havingv on opposite sides thereof a plurality of radiating bracket flanges 12, the alternate flanges being on opposite sides ofthe web, as indicated in full and dotted lines inv Fig. I V Each bracket flange 12 terminates at its outer end in an outwardly extended arm 13 which furnishes a mounting fora circular disk shaped supportinghe'ad 14, the heads being'arranged alternately on opposite sides of the web. g g y Each of the disk shaped heads has formed on its outer face a boss 15 provided with-a spiral groove 16 adapted to have the inner convolutionsof a heavy coil spring 17 threaded, thereon such a way as to afford The wheel of the present invention is of 26, 1925. Serial No. 4,688.

a firm securement of the spring against the face of a disk head.

Each boss 15 is provided in its center with an outwardly'tapering tongue 18 having flat sides 19 and provided in its center with a triangular orifice 20 so cut as to resent its middle angle at a point coinci'ent with the radial axis of the mounting as a whole.

The tongue 18 is embraced by a pair of spaced ears 21 which extend inwardly from the opposite sides of a slotted boss 22 and divided in the center by a cross cut 23 in width equal to'the thickness of the tongue 18. The boss sections 22 are formed upon the surface of a circular spring base 24 .which receives the outer turns of the spring 17, the boss sections 22 being provided with a spiral groove 25 to receive the convolutions of the spring; The ears 21 carry a cross pin 26 which normally bears against the outer rounded angle of the aperture in the tongue 18.- As shown at the left of Fig. 1, the arrangement is such that when the tread is in action on the ground the pin 26 will travel around the triangular aperture in aimanner presently to be described;

The spring. base 24: has formed on its under side transversely extending sleeve 27 which terminates at its'ends in a pair of recessed drain shaped heads 28, the outeropen faces of which bear against a pair of ears 29 formed on the inner face of a tread plate 30 which, as shown, isin the form of a parallelogram, with its major axis extending obliquely transversely with respect to the plane of the wheel as a whole. The tread 30' is recessed onits outer face to receive a block 81 of rubber or other material adapted to grip the ground and furnish the tread surface. v

The tread plate 30 is mounted to rock upon a transversely extending shaft 32 which passes through the ears 29 and through the sleeve-27 and the tread plate and tread block are normally held in the tilted or forwardly canted position indicated in Fig. 5-, by the action of a pair of opposi-tely acting coil springs 33 and 34; housed within the recessed heads 28. Each spring hasii-ts innermost coil 35 secured to the wall of the head 28 and its outermost coil in contact with; the inner surface of the tread plate 80. The spring 38, however, is coiled to expand, while the spring 34 is coiled to contract,- and the latter spring has its free 60 yielding character of the connections deend entered through an eye 36, so that the conjointaction of the two springs tends to lift one side of the tread plate and to depress the other into the position indicated inFig. 5, which represents the tread turning down to meet the ground, with its forward corner A presented in position for the initial ground engagement. The tilting or canting movements of the tread sections are limited by the provision of stop lugs 37 formed on the wall of the head 28, as indicated in Fig. 1 shows the treads of the Wheel in normal or unpressed condition, but when the wheel rests upon the ground and is subjected to the weight'of the vehicle, truck, automobile, ordnance or the like, the lower center tread will be forced upwardly, with the cross pin 26 occupying a position at the inner w1dened end of the triangular orifice 20 in the coacting tongue 18. A certain amount'of displacement from normal will also be 1mparted to the two immediately adjoining tread sections, which by reason of the over lapping oblique relation of the sections to one another will likewise be in parallel contact'with the ground. This displacing action will tend not only to forcethe mountings upwardly againstthe tension of the connecting springs, but will also tend to overcome the tilting action of the springs 33 and 34 and cause the treads to occupy 'a flat position upon'the ground. In these circumstances, if rotativepower is imparted to the shaft upon which. the v wheel ismounted, the inner of web portion of the wheel carrying the supporting head 14 and'apertured tongue 18 willbe permitted a limited. free'movement of rotation or rolling upon the tread sectionswhich are in ground contact, during whichthe connecting spring or springs will be flexed as'well as compressed. This rolling movement will be limited by the circumferential width of the inner or base ends of the apertures 20, and will be exhausted; as soon as the contact is established between the cross pin 26 and the forward end of the corresponding aperscribed is enabled to prolong the period of ground contact for each tread until the next succeeding tread hascome into action, which overlapping of the ground service of each Lede section is due both to the positioning of the sections in the manner shown and to the functioning of the resilient connections in the manner stated.

As indicated in Fig. 5, each section approaches the ground in such a Way as to present an apex or corner for initial ground contact which insures a firm initial engagement with the ground, after which, asthe wheel continues to rotate, each section will be successively thrown into the middle position, and finally into the ultimate position, 7

as indicated in dotted lines.

Not 'ionlydo thesections overlap one another by reason oftheir obliquity, but also by reasonof their staggered relation on opposite sides of the plane of the wheel, as

shown in Fig. 2. This alternates the preponderance of ground contact, first on one side ofthe wheel center and then'on theother,so that when working in soft'ground each tread will come into position to at least partially engage a section of fresh ground measurably removed from the, sphere of disturbance caused by the contact of the preceding tread sections. This, is important, since it tends to prevent the acting tread section from crushing back the soil into the groove or rut previously formed; by the passage of the wheel, and therebyrinsures a firm area of ground engagement to' each transaction;

The inventionis one which is not only use-V ful for service on tractors, trucks, or other heavy vehicles or appliances intendedto'operatef in soft ground, but is also'serviceable foruse on automobiles and other road vehi cles as a substitute for pneumat c tires, since the arrangement is such that each-section v will progressively come into contact with the.

ground and will afl ord anample degree of resiliency to prevent excessive shocks or jars from being transmitted to the wheel axle, so and smooth running ground that a safe, easy I contact is malntalned at all times.

I claim:

' ,1. In a wheel, the combination of'a center portion, a plurality of independent tread sections, an intermediate connecting member for each tread section, to which the tread section is pivotally mounted, a pin and slot rocking connection between each intermediate member and thecenter portionof the wheel, and 'a spring for each tread section interposed between the center portion of the wheel and the intermediate connecting member. a

2. In a wheel, the combination of a center portion provided around a plurality of enlarged spring heads, each springhead being provided with a tongue havingan aperture: enlarged in a circumferential direction towards its inner portion, a connecting member provided with an inwardly protruding portioncarrying a pin fits periphery with adapted to move within said "aperture, a

spring for each intermediate connecting section surrounding the tongue and the coacting protruding portion, and hearing at its inner end against the spring head and at its outer end against the intermediate connecting portion, and a tread section for each connecting portion pivotally mounted thereon.

3. In a wheel, the combination of a center portion provided around its periphery with a plurality of enlarged spring heads alternately protruding on opposite sides of the plane of the wheel, each spring head being provided with a tongue having an aperture enlarged in a circumferential direction to- Wards its inner portion, a connecting member provided with an inwardly protruding portion carrying a pin adapted to move within said aperture, aspring for each inter-,

mediate connecting section surrounding the tongue and the coacting protruding portion, and bearing at its inner end against the spring head and at its outer end against the intermediate connecting portion, and a tread section for each connecting portion pivotally mounted thereon.

4. In a wheel, the combination of a center portion provided around its periphery with a plurality of enlarged spring heads, each spring head being providedwith a tongue having an aperture enlarged in a circumferential direction towards its inner portion, a connecting member provided with an inwardly protruding portion carrying a pin adapted to move Within said aperture, a spring for each intermediate connecting section surrounding the tongue and the coacting protruding portion, and bearing at its inner end against the spring head and at its outer end against the intermediate connecting portion, and a tread section for each connecting portion pivotally mounted thereon.

5. In a wheel, the combination of a center portion provided around its periphery with portions having circumferentially elon-- gated slots, a connecting member co-act1ng with each of the slotted members, and carrying a pin adapted to move freely in a circumferential direction from end to end of such slot, and a tread member carried by each of said connecting members.

6. In a wheel, the combination of a center portion, a plurality of circumferentially arranged connecting portions, each carrying a tread member, and a pin and slot connection between each of the connecting members and the center portion for permitting free circumferential movement of the center portion and connecting members With respect to one another.

DARIUS T. PHILLIPS. 

